Petcurean SPIKE Dog Treats, Remembering to Reward Our Dogs

Note: That Mutt and Petcurean have partnered to bring you this post and giveaway.

We’re giving away two $50 Gift Coupons from Petcurean. Leave a comment below to enter. Click here.

Do you take your dog’s good behavior for granted?

Maybe you have a good boy like Ace who never barks, never has accidents and never chews anything.

It’s so easy to go through the day without acknowledging this!

But boy do I notice if my dog happens to “act up” like if he starts whining while I’m writing or if he pulls on the leash to greet another dog.

He definitely gets my attention then, and it’s often followed by “Ace, no!”

No wonder some dogs are “naughty” just to get our attention!

Ace will often wag his tail when I scold him, like, “Ha! Gotcha to look!”

But I’d rather be a dog owner who encourages good behavior through random rewards.

Here are three simple ways to reward your dog for good behavior

1. Use treats your dog loves!

Treats are not created equally!

Today I’m featuring Petcurean’s SPIKE jerky treats for dogs.

Ever offered your dog a dry, bland treat only to have him ignore you? That’s not going to happen with these!

The SPIKE jerky treats are soft and smelly (in a good way!), perfect for surprising your dog. A good example of when I reward my dog is when he’s walking so perfectly on the leash.

These jerky treats can easily be torn into tiny pieces so you can use a single strip to reward your dog often.

2. Reward your dog for good behavior you take for granted.

This is so basic, but we could all use the reminder.

Why not give your dog a little treat when you catch her doing the things you like? Such as:

• napping on her dog bed
• not barking when a neighbor dog walks by the window or
• not jumping on you when you return home?

We dog owners often take these good behaviors for granted.

And did I mention we’re getting a puppy next month?

I’m in for a rude awakening!

Everything will be new to our puppy. He won’t know what’s expected of him – at all – and will need lots of little reinforcements throughout the day in order to learn.

I think it’s natural for people to reward and reinforce puppies.

However, our older dogs deserve some rewards for getting it right, too.

3. Mix things up!

When your dog is well trained and fits smoothly into your life, you don’t need to reward him every single time he goes potty outside or every single time he sits before you put on his leash.

BUT … it’s good to randomly reinforce these things with different types of rewards to keep things interesting for your dog.

Switch up the rewards you use (treats, praise, play) and try to reward your dog randomly for all his good behaviors here and there.

He doesn’t need a jerky treat every single time you pass another dog on a walk, but how about rewarding him for “watch me!” or “heel” the next time you pass a dog that’s extra distracting?

Some other examples of when you might reward your dog

• When he sits before heading out the door
• When he chooses to go lie on his dog bed while you’re eating
• When he immediately comes running when you call him in from the yard

These are all things a lot of mature, well-behaved dogs do all the time, and we just expect it of them.

Instead, let’s remember to reward our dogs every now and then for these good behaviors we take for granted.

“What a good boy!”

More info on Petcurean’s new SPIKE dog treats

The SPIKE jerky treats come in four flavors:

• Venison (grass fed)
• Cage-Free Turkey
• Catfish
• Cage-Free Duck

They are all grain free and made with all natural superfoods such as chia, pomegranate and kale.

It’s easiest if I just share with you an example. Here is the full list of ingredients from its catfish jerky treats:

Catfish, pumpkin, molasses, whole chia seeds, pomegranate, kale, mixed tocopherols (a source of Vitamin E).

Petcurean Snack Bar for dogs
Petcurean also makes a snack bar for dogs, perfect for those backpacking or hiking trips with your dog.

The SPIKE Snack Bars are made with chicken meal and sweet potato. They’re individually wrapped and are made without by-products or artificial preservatives.

More about Petcurean

Petcurean is a Canadian company that provides high-quality dry food and treats for dogs and cats. You may recognize its lines of pet foods, including Go! and Now Fresh.

Ordering information

Petcurean’s products are sold at various retailers. Your best bet is to search your zip code here for a location near you.

Giveaway – Win a $50 coupon for Petcurean

Petcurean is giving away a $50 Gift Coupon to two readers of That Mutt. Must have a U.S. mailing address to win. Or, you can enter for a friend in the U.S.

To enter, just leave a comment below. Let me know why you’re interested in Petcurean’s products.

I’ll choose two winners at random on Sunday March 20.

The $50 coupons are good at U.S. retailers for two 6-pound bags of food from either Petcurean’s Go! line or its Now Fresh line.

P.S. The Spike treats are not made for kitties, but …

Is your dog or cat interested in Petcurean’s products?

Let me know in the comments!